EFFECTIVE LEADERS

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”  (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10)

A story is told about a boy who valiantly, but unsuccessfully, attempted to move a heavy log to clear a pathway to his favorite hideout. His dad stood quietly nearby, watching his son straining against the load. Finally he said, "Son, why aren't you using all of your strength?"

Confused and a little angry, the boy responded, "Dad, I'm using every last little bit of strength I have!"

"No, son, you're not," his dad quietly responded. "You haven't asked me to help."

Effective leaders use all of their strength by recognizing, developing and utilizing the people around them. They know how to develop healthy alliances both with those on their own team and those on other teams. 

-- Bible Gateway 

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FAITH ON THE BIGGEST STAGE

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”  (1 Corinthians 9:25)

The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events in the world. Millions tune in. Players train for years. Coaches strategize. Fans cheer. And for one team, the night ends with confetti, a trophy, and a moment they’ll remember forever.

But even the greatest victory on the field eventually fades. The trophy gathers dust. The cheers die down. The spotlight moves on.

Paul understood this when he wrote to the Corinthians. He pointed to athletes who discipline themselves for a prize that doesn’t last -- then reminded believers that our prize is eternal.

The world celebrates temporary victories. Heaven celebrates transformed lives.

The Super Bowl is a reminder that preparation matters, discipline matters, teamwork matters  -- but it also reminds us that earthly glory is fleeting. The real victory is living a life secured in Christ, running the race with perseverance, and keeping our eyes fixed on the One who never fades from view.

Faith doesn’t promise an easy game. But it promises a faithful Coach, a powerful Spirit, a supportive Church, and a Victory in Jesus that cannot be taken away.

The Super Bowl may crown a champion for a night, but faith crowns a victor for a lifetime. The field fades, the cheers quiet, but the life centered in Christ plays for a glory that never ends. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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NET FISHING IS A TEAM EFFORT

"So [some of the disciples] went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”  (John 21:3b-6 NIV)

Are you better at working solo than working as a team? Are you afraid of surrendering some of your control and power to others? Net fishing is a team effort. You can’t do it by yourself. How did Jesus send His followers out to take the world? In teams. “I can’t be me without you” is one of my mantras. We need each other. Most especially, we need Christ. As the disciples found out, apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). They caught nothing that night. Without Jesus’ help, they finished in vain. Disciples of Jesus never catch anything without the help of Jesus.

Net fishing is best done with a team of experts who will diminish their own interests for the sake of the success of the team. The ideal team is a team of harmonious difference; not where like meets like, but where difference meets difference. Just as genetic diversity is imperative to the survival of any ecosystem, so pluraformity is imperative to the success of any endeavor. The difference between pluraformity and pluralism? In pluraformity, there are wide divergences around a common core; in pluralism, there is no core and no connections, only centrifuge. The experience of Pentecost – the reversal of Babel – empowers us to recognize and respect differences so that, in Paul’s words, “We may be strengthened in the faith, I by yours and you by mine.” 

-- Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Café”

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PUTTING TEAMWORK INTO ACTION

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’"  (Nehemiah 2:17 NIV)

Spiritual renewal often begins with one person’s vision.  Nehemiah had a vision, and he shared it with enthusiasm, inspiring Jerusalem’s leaders to rebuild the wall.

We frequently underestimate people and don’t challenge them with our dreams for God’s work in the world. When God plants an idea in your mind to accomplish something for Him, share it with others and trust the Holy Spirit to impress them with similar thoughts.  Don’t regard yourself as the only one through whom God is working.  Often God uses one person to express the vision and offers to turn it into reality. When you encourage and inspire others, you put teamwork into action to accomplish God’s goals.

-- from the “Life Application Study Bible”

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WORKING TOGETHER

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

Harry Artinian, formerly president of corporate quality for the Colgate-Palmolive Company, once said, "I like to tell the story about the entrepreneur who wanted to build the perfect car.  He rented a warehouse and filled it with the 150 best cars ever built.  Then he told his engineers to find the best part in each car he had bought.

"So they took the best engine from the Mercedes, the best door handle from the Buick, the best transmission from the Toyota, the best rack-and-pinion steering from the Ford, and so on and so on.  When he was done, he had a car assembled out of 15,000 best parts that human minds could engineer.  Unfortunately, the car didn't function because the parts didn't work together."  Artinian's point is clear: In order for synergy and teamwork to take place, the people on the team have to function as a team, not just a collection of individuals.

-- Pat Williams in The Magic of Teamwork


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